Wall bracket reinforced with an embossment, overhead door assembly including the same, and method of manufacturing such a reinforced wall bracket

ABSTRACT

A wall bracket for supporting an overhead door assembly, such as that of garage doors and the like. The wall bracket includes a first portion for fastening onto a fixed structure, such a wall, said first portion extending along a first vertical plane. The wall bracket also includes a second portion for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly, said second portion extending along a second vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the first vertical plane of the first portion. An important feature of the wall bracket resides in the fact that it further comprises an embossed portion, made integral to the second portion and being shaped and sized for increasing the sectional inertia of the second portion so as to provide said second portion with an reinforcement resistant to warping of said second portion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wall bracket such as the ones used for supporting overhead door assemblies, such as that of garage doors and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wall bracket reinforced with an embossment, and also relates to an overhead door assembly including the same, as well as to a method of manufacturing such a reinforced wall bracket. The present patent application is filed under priority of Canadian patent application No. 2,430,434 filed on May 29, 2003, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sectional doors, rolling doors and cable-operated doors, such as garage doors and the like, are well known in the art. A garage door is usually connected to an overhead mechanism that provides a driving or a counterbalancing force in order to decrease the force required to open the door and also facilitate its closing.

It is also known in the art that a garage door generally needs to have a proper counterbalancing system so that it may be easily opened and closed. The counterbalancing force is generally achieved by the usage of either one or many torsional springs, tension springs, or by any other suitable biasing means, such as counterweights for example.

It is also well known in the art that a garage door, the components thereof, and/or the components of a corresponding counterbalancing mechanism, are generally supported onto a fixed structure, such as a wall for example, by means of support plates, commonly known as “wall brackets” or “bearing plates”. These wall brackets are intended to support the weight of the garage door and of all the different components operatively connected thereto and are thus subject to substantial loads, and also various repeating loading conditions due to the inherent nature of the raising and lowering of garage doors. Consequently, as a result thereof, it has been found that these wall brackets may generally have a tendency to warp or deform themselves, due to this cyclical loading, thus possibly leading to a series of adverse consequences, such as inefficient operation of the garage door and/or corresponding counterbalancing mechanism, fatigue stresses resulting in the wall brackets leading possibly to inoperable condition thereof, and the like. Consequently, the wall brackets may need periodic inspection and/or maintenance, and furthermore, may require replacement, which is very disadvantageous for different reasons.

To solve this warping and deformation problems, the industry trend is generally to increase the material thickness of the wall brackets, or to increase the number of connecting points to the garage door assembly. However, increasing the material thickness will necessarily increase the weight of the wall bracket, and consequently its cost, for the end-user for example. Moreover, the use of the alternate solution, i.e. an additional number of fastening points, is also conducive to an increasing of costs generated by the product, for the customers for example, since it requires, namely, a greater time of installation on the garage door assembly.

Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for an improved wall bracket which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome some of the aforementioned prior art problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a wall bracket which satisfies some of the above-mentioned needs and which is thus an improvement over the other related wall brackets known in the prior art.

In accordance with the present invention, the above object is achieved, as will be easily understood, with a wall bracket provided with at least one embossment such as the ones briefly described herein and such as the ones exemplified in the accompanying drawings.

Indeed, according to the present invention, there is provided a wall bracket for supporting an overhead door assembly, the wall bracket comprising:

-   -   a first portion for fastening onto a fixed structure, said first         portion extending along a first vertical plane;     -   a second portion for receiving a corresponding component of the         door assembly, said second portion extending along a second         vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the first vertical         plane of the first portion; and     -   an embossed portion, made integral to the second portion and         being shaped and sized for increasing the sectional inertia of         the second portion so as to provide said second portion with an         reinforcement resistant to warping of said second portion.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is also provided an overhead assembly comprising a wall bracket, the wall bracket comprising:

-   -   a first portion for fastening onto a fixed structure, said first         portion extending along a first vertical plane;     -   a second portion for receiving a corresponding component of the         door assembly, said second portion extending along a second         vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the first vertical         plane of the first portion; and     -   an embossed portion, made integral to the second portion and         being shaped and sized for increasing the sectional inertia of         the second portion so as to provide said second portion with an         reinforcement resistant to warping of said second portion.

Preferably, the first portion comprises at least one orifice for receiving a fastener for fastening the first portion onto the fixed structure, and the second portion comprises at least one orifice for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly.

Preferably also, the wall bracket is made of a suitable metallic material.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a reinforced wall bracket for supporting an overhead door assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

-   -   a) forming a wall bracket having a first portion for fastening         onto a fixed structure, said first portion extending along a         first vertical plane, and a second portion for receiving a         corresponding component of the door assembly, said second         portion extending along a second vertical plane substantially         perpendicular to the first vertical plane of the first portion;         and     -   b) forming an embossed portion, made integral to second portion         and being shaped and sized for increasing the sectional inertia         of the second portion so as to provide said second portion with         an reinforcement resistant to warping of said second portion.

Preferably, step a) comprises the step of providing the first portion with at least one orifice used for receiving a fastener for fastening the first portion onto the fixed structure, and also comprises the step of providing the second portion with at least one orifice used for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly.

Preferably also, step a) comprises the step of using a metallic material for forming the wall bracket.

Preferably, step b) comprises the step of plastically forming the embossed portion from the second portion by a corresponding embossing process, and the corresponding embossing process is preferably selected from the group consisting of stamping, hydroforming, and cold forming.

The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a right-handed version of a wall bracket provided with at least one embossment according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of what is shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of what is shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front plan view of a stamping blank used to form and obtain the wall bracket shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a left-handed version of a wall bracket provided with at least one embossment according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front plan view of a right-handed version of the wall bracket shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of what is shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of what is shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a front plan view of a right-handed version of a wall bracket provided with at least one embossment according to another third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of what is shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of what is shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a stamping blank used to form and obtain the wall bracket shown in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. The embodiments and proportions shown in the figures are preferred.

Moreover, although the present invention was primarily designed for use with a garage door for example, it may be used with other types of doors and objects, and in other fields, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. For this reason, expressions such as “garage”, “door”, etc., used herein should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention and includes all other kinds of doors or items with which the present invention could be used and may be useful.

Moreover, in the context of the present invention, the expressions “bracket”, “plate”, and any other equivalent expression and/or compound expressions thereof such as “wall bracket”, “support plate”, “bearing plate”, and the like, known in the art, will be used interchangeably. Furthermore, the same applies for any other mutually equivalent expressions, such as “cable-operated door” and “garage door”, as well as “support” and “bracket” for example, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.

In addition, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises various components and although the preferred embodiments of the wall bracket 1 as shown consists of certain geometrical configurations and proportions as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components, geometries and proportions are essential to the invention and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e. should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and cooperations thereinbetween, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations may be used for the wall bracket 1 and corresponding parts according to the present invention, as briefly explained and inferred herein, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Broadly described, the wall bracket 1 according to the present invention, as shown in the accompanying drawings, is a wall bracket 1 for supporting an overhead door assembly (not shown), such as that of garage doors and the like. The wall bracket 1 comprises a first portion 5 for fastening onto a fixed structure, such a wall for example, said first portion 5 extending along a first vertical plane. The wall bracket 1 also comprises a second portion 7 for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly, said second portion 7 extending along a second vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the first vertical plane of the first portion 5, as can be easily understood when referring to FIGS. 1-3, 5-6, and 9-11. An important feature of the wall bracket 1 resides in the fact that it further comprises an embossed portion 3, also referred to simply as “embossment” 3, made integral to the second portion 7 and being shaped and sized for increasing the sectional inertia of the second portion 7 so as to provide said second portion 7 with an reinforcement resistant to warping of said second portion 7, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art.

As previously mentioned, the wall bracket 1 is preferably connected to a fixed structure (not shown), such as a wall for example, by suitable fastening means. To that effect, the first portion 5 of the wall bracket 1 may be provided with corresponding fastening flanges and/or corresponding orifices 9 for receiving suitable fasteners, such as screws, bolts, nails, and the like, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Moreover, the second portion 7 of the wall bracket 1 according to the present invention may comprise corresponding orifices 11 for receiving corresponding components of the garage door and/or of the counterbalancing mechanism thereof, such a ball bearing for example, and/or for receiving any other suitable component (overhead shaft, etc.).

These orifices 9,11 may be circular or may be rectangular, square, or of any other suitable geometrical configuration depending for which component they are intended to cooperate with, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.

FIGS. 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12, illustrate respectively three main different embodiments of the wall bracket 1 according to the present invention, each set of figures illustrating different examples and variations thereof.

Indeed, according to the present invention, a conventional wall bracket is preferably reinforced structurally by means of the provision of a reinforcement embossment 3 that is preferably made integral to the wall bracket 1 and incorporated therein during the manufacturing of said wall bracket 1. The embossment 3 is preferably made by plastic deformation of the material, using a stamping or embossing process for example, but may be made by any other suitable manufacturing process that can bring such plastic deformation, such a hydroforming, cold forming, and the like, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the embossment(s) 3 may take on various different forms and dimensions, depending on the particular nature of the wall bracket 1 and the particular application for which it is intended for, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art. The particular shape, form and size of the wall bracket 1 and corresponding embossment(s) 3 are preferably selected so as to optimise structural reinforcement of the wall bracket 1, by increasing the section inertia, thus resulting in an increasing of bending and buckling resistance of the bracket 1, as can be easily understood, and as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

The particular shape, form and size of the wall bracket 1 and corresponding embossment(s) 3 are also preferably selected to avoid dimensional distortions of nearby holes and orifices 9,11, or to avoid material shearing attributable to the embossing process, as can be easily understood, and as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.

It is worth mentioning that according to the present invention, the wall bracket 1 preferably comprises at least one embossment 3, but may also comprise a pair or a plurality of embossments 3, depending on the particular nature of the wall bracket 1 and the application for which it is intended, as exemplified in the accompanying drawings, and as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.

The wall bracket 1 according to the present invention is preferably made of a suitable substantially rigid material, such as a metallic material, such as steel, aluminium, stainless steel, for example, or may be manufactured from other suitable materials, depending once again on the particular application for which the wall bracket 1 is intended and the loads for which it is devised to sustain, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Some of the wall brackets 1 shown in the accompanying figures are “right” wall brackets 1 to be located at the “right” of the garage door, more specifically at the right-hand side thereof when viewed from the inside of the garage. A “left” wall bracket 1, that is, a left-hand side version of the brackets 1 shown, would simply be a mirror image of what is in the accompanying figures, and vice versa. Each wall bracket 1 with corresponding embossment 3, whether right or left wall bracket 1, is preferably devised to hold at least half of the load of the garage door and corresponding components operatively connected thereto, and is preferably securely affixed to a fixed structure, such as a wall for example, by suitable fastening means. Indeed, an overhead door assembly is typically supported by a pair of wall brackets 1.

It is worth mentioning though that although the preferred embodiments described and illustrated herein are either “left-handed” or “right-handed” versions, the wall bracket 1 according to the present invention may be devised so as to not limit itself to a given handed design. Indeed, according to the present invention, the wall bracket 1 may be devised so as to use a symmetrical or reversible embossed design.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an overhead door assembly, such as that of garage doors and the like, comprising a wall bracket 1 provided with at least one embossment 3 such as the ones briefly described herein and such as the ones exemplified in the accompanying drawings.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a reinforced wall bracket 1 for supporting an overhead door assembly, the method comprising the steps of: a) forming a wall bracket 1 having a first portion 5 for fastening onto a fixed structure, said first portion extending along a first vertical plane, and a second portion 7 for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly, said second portion 7 extending along a second vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the first vertical plane of the first portion 5; and b) forming an embossed portion 3, made integral to second portion 7 and being shaped and sized for increasing the sectional inertia of the second portion 7 so as to provide said second portion 7 with an reinforcement resistant to warping of said second portion 7, as explained hereinabove.

Preferably, step a) comprises the step of providing the first portion 5 with at least one orifice 9 used for receiving a fastener for fastening the first portion onto the fixed structure, and also comprises the step of providing the second portion 7 with at least one orifice 11 used for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly.

Preferably also, step a) comprises the step of using a metallic material for forming the wall bracket 1.

Preferably, step b) comprises the step of plastically forming the embossed portion 3 from the second portion 7 by a corresponding embossing process, and the corresponding embossing process is preferably selected from the group consisting of stamping, hydroforming, and cold forming, as also mentioned hereinabove.

As may now be appreciated, the present invention is a substantial improvement over the prior art in that, by virtue of its design and components, the wall bracket 1 and its corresponding reinforcement embossment 3 is devised to offer improved structural properties by increasing the section inertia with respect to wall brackets of the prior art. Furthermore, the present invention is also advantageous in that the wall bracket 1 and corresponding embossment(s) 3 is very simple and easy to manufacture and/or install, without substantially increasing costs and/or manufacturing steps.

This improved structural resistance, by means of the embossment 3, thus allows the use of a bracket 1 with the same material thickness or even smaller material thickness, the same mounting configuration and the same number of connecting points than what is possible with a corresponding given bracket of the prior art, as well as to solve its warping or deformation problems, as described above.

The reinforcing embossment feature can also be used to design lighter and less expensive brackets 1 than the ones of the prior art. Because the addition of such an embossment 3 increases the flexural and buckling rigidity of the wall bracket 1, as apparent to a person skilled in the art, one could also design a wall bracket 1 with thinner material so that it has the same rigidity than that of a thicker design of the prior art, deprived of such an embossment 3. Thus, it may now be better appreciated that the design aspect of the embossment 3 according to the present invention is particularly important, since it results in a lighter and more economical bracket 1 compared to the prior art non-embossed thicker replacement design.

Furthermore, this weight saving reverberates itself, on product packaging, which is frequently weight driven, thus allowing packaging of more components in the same “weight driven” container. Indeed, this cost saving also extends itself, on the transportation of shipments of products, since, according to the present invention, more wall brackets 1 may be carried, for the same given total transportation weight.

Moreover, the use of an embossed reinforced bracket 1, made with thinner material than the design of the prior art, contributes to decrease the weight of the overall garage door assemblies, thus decreasing the loads supported by the wall brackets 1.

The present invention is also an improvement and presents several advantages over other related wall brackets known on the prior art in that it may be used in the garage door industry, with new garage doors or existing garage doors, whether commercial or residential. Furthermore, the present invention may be used with other kinds of doors, such as slidable truck doors, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Hence, it may now be appreciated that the present invention represents important advantages over other wall brackets known in the prior art, in terms of performance, resistance and costs.

Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A wall bracket for supporting an overhead door assembly, the wall bracket comprising: a first portion for fastening onto a fixed structure, said first portion extending along a first vertical plane; a second portion for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly, said second portion extending along a second vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the first vertical plane of the first portion; and an embossed portion, made integral to the second portion and being shaped and sized for increasing the sectional inertia of the second portion so as to provide said second portion with an reinforcement resistant to warping of said second portion.
 2. A wall bracket according to claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises at least one orifice for receiving a fastener for fastening the first portion onto the fixed structure.
 3. A wall bracket according to claim 1, wherein the second portion comprises at least one orifice for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly.
 4. A wall bracket according to claim 1, wherein the wall bracket is made of a metallic material.
 5. A wall bracket according to claim 1, wherein the embossed portion extends along a vertical plane substantially parallel to the second vertical plane of the second portion.
 6. An overhead assembly comprising a wall bracket, the wall bracket comprising: a first portion for fastening onto a fixed structure, said first portion extending along a first vertical plane; a second portion for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly, said second portion extending along a second vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the first vertical plane of the first portion; and an embossed portion, made integral to the second portion and being shaped and sized for increasing the sectional inertia of the second portion so as to provide said second portion with an reinforcement resistant to warping of said second portion.
 7. An overhead door assembly according to claim 6, wherein the first portion comprises at least one orifice for receiving a fastener for fastening the first portion onto the fixed structure.
 8. An overhead door assembly according to claim 6, wherein the second portion comprises at least one orifice for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly.
 9. An overhead door assembly according to claim 6, wherein the wall bracket is made of a metallic material.
 10. An overhead door assembly according to claim 6, wherein the embossed portion extends along a vertical plane substantially parallel to the second vertical plane of the second portion.
 11. A method of manufacturing a reinforced wall bracket for supporting an overhead door assembly, the method comprising the steps of: a) forming a wall bracket having a first portion for fastening onto a fixed structure, said first portion extending along a first vertical plane, and a second portion for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly, said second portion extending along a second vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the first vertical plane of the first portion; and b) forming an embossed portion, made integral to second portion and being shaped and sized for increasing the sectional inertia of the second portion so as to provide said second portion with an reinforcement resistant to warping of said second portion.
 12. A method according to claim 11, wherein step a) comprises the step of providing the first portion with at least one orifice used for receiving a fastener for fastening the first portion onto the fixed structure.
 13. A method according to claim 11, wherein step a) comprises the step of providing the second portion with at least one orifice used for receiving a corresponding component of the door assembly.
 14. A method according to claim 11, wherein step a) comprises the step of using a metallic material for forming the wall bracket.
 15. A method according to claim 11, wherein step b) comprises the step of forming the embossed portion along a vertical plane extending substantially parallel to the second vertical plane of the second portion.
 16. A method according to claim 11, wherein step b) comprises the step of plastically forming the embossed portion from the second portion by a corresponding embossing process.
 17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the corresponding embossing process is selected from the group consisting of stamping, hydroforming, and cold forming. 